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Sir Colin Campbell was putting the last finishing stroke to his operations against Lakhnao there occurred an event in the Ázamgarh district which taxed very severely the resources immediately available to Lord Canning. On the 27th of March an express informed the Governor-General that, on the 22d, Kunwar Singh, the famous chieftain of Western Bihár, had surprised the British force, under Colonel Milman, near Atráoliá, twenty-five miles from Ázamgarh, had forced it to fall back on the last-named place, and was there besieging it. It was too true. Milman, whose force consisted of 206 men of the 37th Foot and of 60 Madras Cavalry, had been caught napping; had fallen back, first on Koilsá, then on Ázamgarh; had received there reinforcements in the shape of 46 men of the Madras Rifles (natives) and 280 men of his own regiment, the 37th Foot, under Colonel Dames, who, as senior officer, then assumed command. On the 27th Dames had attempted a sortie, and had been beaten back.

The situation was a difficult one for Lord Canning, for Ázamgarh was not very distant from Allahábád, where he was, and if Kunwar Singh were to compel the surrender of the force behind the walls of Ázamgarh the conflagra-